PowerMultisport

Tour d'Oconee - Tame The Lion!

2013-05-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

The Lion

We left in the pouring rain at 4AM from Hattiesburg. We were off to visit our friend whom had moved to Georgia. The forecast called for rain the entire weekend and during the entire 62 mile ride.

The rain let up a few hours into the drive and by the time we had made it to Watkinsville the sun was out and the weather was perfect. We ate a quick lunch and went for a quick 20 mile tune up ride. After the ride we made our way to the Terrapin Brewery!

Brewery

Hopzilla

The crew

Twins?

This was a hilly area. Of course, everything is hilly when you live in Mississippi.

Although this was just a ‘ride’ it took off at 27 MPH – and that is not an exaggeration. Our goal for the ride was to try and hang onto the front group as long as possible. I am the weakest of our little group but I am pretty good at dodging the wind (I <3 drafting!).

But I was out of position, in the front middle section of the riders (not the racers). The group accelerated and took off quick. I was red lined from the first 10 seconds of the ride just trying to bridge the gap. It took me a couple of minutes but I was successful!

Right after I was on the back of the front pack they made a hard right turn. The pace line was like a slinky I was off the back again. It took almost everything but I battled back to the tail end of the front pack.

But too many matches had been burned too quickly. I was blown up, failing back and loosing ground rapidly. This was at mile 6. Bear in mind, that this was a 62 mile ride.

I ascertained that I was in ‘no man’s land’ and there would be few riders around me of a while. I rode solo for a couple of miles – still working hard but not red lined at 27 MPH.

A couple more guys popped off the front group and drifted back. I was able to regroup with 4 others. Later another joined our second tier group.

Since we would be with each other for a while we introduced ourselves to each other. I was from MS, Bill was traveling from FL to New England, Chris, Johan (from Germany) and Jason were locals.

We took turns at the front and made good time. While the front group made zero stops on the ride we decided to take on water at mile 30ish – I also need to pee like a race horse.

This was a hilly, windy ride and as the miles at intensity racked up I could feel the fatigue. I was not alone.

On a particularly long hill as Bill and I crowned the apex we looked back. Jason and Johan were near but Chris was not to be see.

Bill asked aloud, “Where is Chris, the guy in yellow?”

Johan replied in the best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation that I have ever heard, “He has capitulated!” I laughed out loud. That is the best term for dropping off of a bike ride!

ca•pit•u•late (kəˈpɪtʃ əˌleɪt)
v.i. -lat•ed, -lat•ing.

1. to surrender unconditionally or on stipulated terms.

2. to give up resistance; yield: to capitulate to someone's pleas.

Lance and Keith stayed with the lead group until mile 15, Sam until 40 and Raland the entire ride!

Race Shape for Strava

2013-03-27T10:38:00.001-05:00

I went for a run with Lea and John Mark on Tuesday. Last semester we ran a lot together but this year, do to scheduling conflicts and injuries, we rarely got together – just to make it clear, I’m still running most everyday at lunch.

But Tuesday we headed out on the trace for a comfortable, conversational run. As we headed out, John Mark mentioned that he had created a new running Strava segment on the trace – his nemesis hill. To be fair, it really is not much of a hill but – it is a hill. He baited us. He told me that I had the KOM and Lea was just behind me. As we approached the start line I could not help it. I started to pick up the pace. We only knew that the end was at the 7th street tunnel. I took off, slowly. Lea could not help but follow. It just happens, you can’t help it – you have to take up the challenge. Once I heard Lea behind me I picked up the pace. The segment is only 0.6 miles @ 0.7% grade. But at full speed it was a very hard effort.

Since Lea entered the segment just after me I knew that I had to ‘beat’ him by a few feet. I was running hard and fighting gravity as best as I could. He was just behind me. I wanted to put a surge or two in but I was unable to attack. The segment ended up in an all out sprint and I finished a few feet ahead of Lea.

Neither one of us had clicked off a lap or anything, we just ran. I uploaded my run gps file after lunch. It was a hard effort but I had to wait for Lea to upload his file. He texted me a short time later. I had ended up beating him by 1 second! I told him that since this was a new segment that we would be lucky to hold in the top 5.

Upon closer examination, it was noticed that the segment did not really end until the other side of the tunnel. Lea and I had walked this portion so even though we had the top 2 spots it was about 30 seconds slow.

John Mark later edited the segment to make it end before the tunnel – which I agree with – but, it stole my KOM by 2 seconds.

I put the segment into http://raceshape.com. This site lets you look at the segments in closer detail. It shows how a gap changes between two athletes. The flat purple line in the graph is my pace on the segment. The blue line is Lea. Notice that at various points he was ahead (above the purple line) and behind (below the purple line). In the last 5 hundredths of a mile Lea put in a surge and went from 1 second behind to 2 seconds in front. That is how you steal a KOM. Now I just need to drive out to the segment. Put my bike on the trainer. Warm-up for 30 minutes. Then do an all out 0.6 mile effort collapsing upon myself to take back this KOM.

See for yourself here (this view shows Lea as the purple and me as the blue – I did not slow down at the end, Lea just sped up).

Rattler Ramble Trail Run

2012-11-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

It’s been a long time…

At the end of October I was asked to help time a trail run near my house. Actually I was asked to time the race two days before the event. I scrambled some pacer friends, procured the club’s clock and decided to race the event. I hoped to finish high enough in the rankings to that I could race and time.

Since the race was just before Halloween I donned the banana suit. I figured that this would give me a pretty good excuse if some of the fast guys showed up for the race. I could always say that I was in a banana suit – what do you expect.

It was a brisk morning, I say brisk but it was really about 50 degrees outside. It was kind of cold standing around but definitely hot while running. I wore an extra-long sleeved shirt while we were milling about before the start of the race. I did get to use all of the banana puns (peel off the extra layers, timing splits, etc.). Funny stuff!

The race started on a slight downhill on a dirt road. I was running fast and wanted to stay at the front. However, there was a girl in front of me. She was running smoking fast down this dirt road. I glanced at my GPS watch and we were in the high 5’s (very high 5’s – like 5:55, but high 5’s none the less). I was not going to put in a pass – this was too fast for me. I fell in behind the girl and stayed about 10 feet back. I was going to stick to the pace as long as possible. Flashing through my mind was a race that had taken place the previous week where a girl won the overall with an 18 high something 5K. I was thinking that if this was that girl then I would have to let her go. Once again, the pace was too fast for me.

I looked at the watch again, we were already a half mile into the race but she was not slowing down. I stayed with her and thought negative thoughts. Something would have to give and soon.

We rounded a corner and saw a long gradual rise before us. Finally, the girl slowed down. She huffed and grunted that she had gone out too fast. I thought – no doubt! I was thankful for the reprieve.

I settled into a very hard but sustainable pace. The route was technical and had many switch backs. I was able to glimpse the second place runner. I did not want to get into a sprint on these trails. I kept the pace up sufficiently enough to take the win.

Not my fastest run by far but it was my best race in a banana suit!

TT 2012, sub-30 and a new PR

2012-09-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

Okay, it has been about a month since the second TT. If you remember, I did PR the first one with a 30:21 @ 23.33 MPH (for 11.85 miles). I was also the first person about 30 minutes and the first person beaten by Donna (fast girl from the coast).

This time I arrived at the starting line on time. We would line up in reverse order from our previous time (slowest to fastest). As we were lining up I knew Donna would be right behind me. I also knew that she was 26 seconds faster than me from the previous TT. We stagger the start every 30 seconds. I knew that she would be on my tail.

I had a strategy. I was going to use the Virtual Racer on my Garmin watch. I have used the Virtual Partner (I call it my Virtual Nemeses) many times in running racers. The Virtual Partner will run even splits. This is great on a flat course but he will not slow down up hills. It is simply an even pace. However, since I had PR’d the TT and recorded the event with my Garmin I was able to load the event as a course. I could now race against myself! It will be in ‘real time’ and not just an even split.

I started out on the ride at a measured pace. Quickly the nemesis got the jump on me. What? I struggle to even keep pace. But I remained calm and waited for my legs to come back. It was a hard effort but I was maintaining my previous speed. I had done some quick math and I ‘needed’ to gain 20+ seconds from the previous ride. I rounded up to 24 seconds (2 seconds a mile). At the turn around I was not even close. I was maybe a second or 2 faster – still a PR but not where I wanted to be.

On that back section I pushed hard and just on the edge. I started to gain some time. The only numbers displayed on my Garmin was the amount of time ahead (or behind). I was not looking at speed or heart rate or anything. The seconds ahead started to slowly increase.

When I crossed the line I had given everything and I knew that I have achieved victory. I had been chasing the sub-30 TT for a couple of years. The bike set up was exactly the same. In fact, all equipment was exactly the same. This meant that I was truly faster than previous attempts (or at least I paced better).

I finished this TT with a new PR with a 29:46 @23.78 MPH. Donna still beat me (she was 17 seconds faster).

So, for year to year results, I cut down my TT time from 30:32 to 29:46 (46 seconds and 0.6 MPH faster).

Second TT results can be found here.

TT 2012, new PR!

2012-07-30T15:00:00.000-05:00

The first TT of the summer took place last Saturday. Sure, I have ridden the TT course dozens of times this summer but they have usually been some combination of 30 minute repeats or combined with bricks. Also, Saturday was the first time that I brought out the race bike.

The race bike has been mothballed since October (the Mighty Magnolia). My cycling mileage is constant year over year but all mileage has been on the road bike.

Friday night I put my race wheels on the race bike. The bike had been hung up with no wheels on it at all. I puffed the tires up on the HED 3’s. The bike still had the race number on from last year.

I was not sure if I would be able to maintain an aero position for the TT. 30 minutes and change is a long time in a foreign position.

I had read the emails and set the alarm. I got up early for the 7:00AM start – I rolled out of bed and down the street at about 6:40AM. This would give me a few minutes to try the aero position and do a brief warm up. I thought a few all out efforts (I call them striders in running). I coasted down the hill and saw Raland, Butch and Matt. They said I could have a go if I wanted to. I’m sure I looked confused.

I got the time wrong. The TT started at 6:30AM. All of the riders were already on the course. I stammered and said give me a minute. I road towards Jackson Station for about 15 seconds and turned around.

I pulled up to the starting line. I was offered a standing start (they would hold the bike while I was clipped in. I declined. I just clipped 1 pedal in and asked them to tell me when to go. They counted me down and I took off. I immediately lost a second or two fumbling with clipping in.

I have been riding with a power meter since October of last year. I race wheels do not have a power tap. This ride would be like all of my other time trials, by heart rate.

I started hard (but not too hard) and tried to keep everything at a slow boil. Since I started about 10 minutes after everyone, the trace in my direction was empty. At the turn around I think I was about 3 miles behind the last rider. There were no carrots dangling in front of me and no one behind chasing. I am not saying that would have made a difference, but I can be quite competitive.

This July (2012) compared to last May (2011) – disregard the calories.

I was 11 seconds faster (from 30:32 to 30:21). This is a new PR for me! The only think to note is that last year my heart rate average was 176 (MAX 187) and this year it was 172 (MAX 184). Pretty close but … but I might have a touch more in the tank. By a touch, I mean I really want 21 seconds!!!

I had planned on riding with the Roadie’s (Butch, Raland, Matt, etc.) after the TT. I met them at 8AM at Jackson Station. We went off and a sedate, relatively easy pace. My legs were aching. I knew that I would not be able to hang once the pace picked. I turned tail and tail and decided to ride my own ride. I rode an easy 25 miles. Sometimes I actually surprise myself! It was a very good decision!

Full results can be found at: http://hubcitycyclist.blogspot.com/2012/07/july-tt-2012.html .

My last years TT report can be found at: http://www.powermultisport.com/2011/05/time-trialing-in-mornings.html

McMillan Running Calculator–UPDATED

2012-07-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have used and written about the McMillan Running Calculator several times. A quick Google search of my posts mentioning McMillan returns 13.. In my experience, for stand alone foot race predictions it has been spot on. Now it has been updated with the following:

You asked and we listened. High school coaches wanted the 1600 and 3200 meter races added to the Calculator so in the most recent update, we've added them. Cross country runners and coaches wanted 6K and 12K added so we've added those as well. Military, police, fire and other emergency personnel asked for the 1.5 mile distance that they often have to use as a performance test and ultra runners wanted the 50K, 50 Miles, 100K and 100 Miles so we added them as well (though ultra runs are very hard to predict due to the variation in terrain and environmental conditions).

You'll also notice that we've widened the Recovery Run, Long Run and Easy Run pace ranges. We found that runners who wear speed/distance monitors were forcing themselves to jump right into the pace ranges whereas those who ran more by effort eased into the paces. So, we widened the range to better match what runners should do - start easy and gradually pick up the pace. Research and practical experience also taught us that while runners at the front of the pack did their easy runs slower than marathon pace, runners at the middle and back of the pack needed to spend more time at around marathon pace (or even slightly faster) so some runners will notice that their Endurance Workout paces should be a little faster.

Does the Calculator work for you?

Garmin Triathlete Video

2012-07-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am not the guy in blue.

Garmin Presents - The Triathlete: A Day in the Life - New from Garmin EMEA on Vimeo.

RoadID plus Google Voice

2012-07-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

I have been wearing a Road ID for a couple of years. While I have not had a serious accident I have had accidents. Just last year I crashed on the bike, split my helmet and cracked my collar bone. Immediately after the crash I was a bit confused. I was with friends and I was able to orient myself quickly. But what if I was unconscious? These are my cycling buddies. I know them very well. We have ridden thousands of miles together. But you know what? I don’t know any of their emergency contact information. This is where the Road ID is very helpful. Almost all of us wear them.

But this year, my emergency contact number changed. I needed to update my information. Road ID does offer an interactive version of their bracelet. You can keep your emergency information up on their servers. The first responder just has to call the toll free number to get your information. For me, that is an extra step and there is a reoccurring fee after the first year.

But I still needed a new bracelet. But this time I was smart. I used a Google voice permanent phone number. This is a free service from Google that provides a phone number that you can keep forever AND define what numbers it forwards to! Most people use them so that one number can be dialed and all of your phones ring. You can have your office, home, cell phone, etc. all ring at once. You can alter which phones ring and what times of the day they ring. You can even have different callers forwarded to different numbers. You can alter these preferences at any time. I have a Google voice number for my coaching business. It will ring my cell phone most of the time but you will get voice mail after hours.

So this time I was smart and I got a Google voice number for my emergency contact number. This number will stay with me forever and I can have it forwarded to any number that I want. On top of that I can have it forward to multiple numbers at the same time. This way someone that cares for me will always be able to respond to an accident.

My RoadID – Shut Up Legs!

On top of that, I can change the number for when I travel. When I am visiting my father in Texas I can go on a bike ride and have his cell phone ring. There is not much help that someone in Mississippi can provide. So I simply change the forwarding number to my father’s when I am visiting.

I believe in having emergency contact information on my body and now that information is more versatile and permanent. I hope no one needs to call my loved ones on my behalf but now they should always be able to get ahold of someone.

Bike Crash – What’s in your medicine cabinet? – REPOST FEB 2011

2012-06-13T09:06:00.000-05:00

I have two friends that have crashed in the last couple of weeks. I wrote this post last year when I took a spill out on the trace.

No one likes to talk about crashing on the bike. It happens. You need to be prepared. When you are hurt and limping around you don’t want to have to go to the store and find the stuff you need.
I have been wanting to write about what to have on hand but you just don’t do that without being prompted. Someone, somewhere would crash and I would be blamed for the bad mojo.
First, if you are hurt beyond superficial cuts, scraps, bumps or bruises please seek medical attention. Play it smart.
You have that horrible sound of metal and carbon hitting the pavement stuck in your head. You just had a tumble on the bike and you have some bumps and bruises and probably some road rash.
Okay, lets take a look in the medicine cabinet:

1. Road Rash – Abrasion (How to treat) - The first thing that you need to do is print out this pdf. Next read it. Put it in you medicine cabinet. Do it right now, I’ll wait. There, you are already more prepared than before. I feel better.
2. Acetaminophen / Ibuprofen (Tylenol, Advil) - You probably have this on hand. It is a pain reliever / fever reducer. You do not want to use aspirin in this case because of the blood thinning qualities. Take only the recommended doses.

generic acetaminophen

3. Pain-relief cream (aspercreme) – You rub this into the bumps and bruises. It will take away the pain. Even better if you know a PT and can get the acetaminophen pain relief cream (prescription). DO NOT RUB THIS INTO ROAD RASH!

generic aspercreme

4. Topical Antibiotics (Neosporin) – After cleaning the wounds and abrading rash you want to goop up the area liberally with the antibiotic cream. And I do mean liberally.

topical antibiotic ointment

5. 2nd Skin type breathable Gauze (Adaptic, duoderm, tegaderm) – This is a breathable gauze to drape over your road rash. Buy this stuff online. It is much cheaper online and you don’t want to be wandering around a CVS late on a Sunday night. It can be very difficult to find locally. I got lucky a while back and found several boxes of the following on clearance.

2nd Skin type breathable gauze.

6. Ice packs – This will help with the swelling. You can use anything that you want – frozen peas, plastic ice bags, etc. I found the following a few years back. I bought 4 sheets. That way I can have two in the freezer while I have two on my body. They thaw pretty quick so I rotate often. These ice sheets will conform to just about any body part.

ice sheets

ice sheets – close up

Me with ice sheet on shoulder

7. New helmet – Even if the helmet looks brand new, YOU MUST REPLACE IT. They are designed to take one impact, that’s it, nothing more. My most recent crash sent me head first into the pavement. I had a palm sized red area on my forehead and the top of my head. The helmet spread the impact over a wide area and saved my noggin. I have no doubt that I would have received some form of brain trauma if I had not been wearing a helmet (and wearing said helmet correctly but that is for another post).
I am an opportunist. I buy things when they are on sale and don’t necessary wait until I need them. I found this helmet a couple of months ago for a very good deal (with coupon and free shipping). I have kept the new helmet in a dark closet since I got it – they do have a shelf life. However, I am glad I have the helmet on hand. I will not ride my bike without one. I have cracked two helmets in the past 4 years. Better to crack a helmet than my head.

helmet new in box ready to go

Bike crashes happen. Be prepared. Stock the medicine cabinet today.

Summer Hydration

2012-05-04T07:30:00.000-05:00

The weather has turned warm here in Southern Mississippi. By warm I mean 90 degrees already. With spring racing coming up quick, including the Gulf Coast Half Ironman next weekend, it is time to start thinking about hydration.

This is a tough time to race since we have not had enough hot weather to be acclimated and we are asking our bodies to perform at race intensities. This is a tough combination, indeed.

However, downing countless glasses of water the day before a race will just cause you to stay up all night using the bathroom. It is necessary to start ‘hydro loading’ several days before, if not at all times.

Hydration tips –

Purchase a case of a calorie free sports drink (or mix your own with cool aid and a dash of sea salt). The sodium will allow your body to retain the extra water so it does not just flow through you. I like to dilute the calorie free sports drink about 50 / 50 with water. That is easy to do by drinking the first half and then refilling with tap water. Then, keep this container by your side. Take it with you in the car; keep it on your desk, on the end table in the living room – everywhere. Then just start drinking. Most of the time if you have the container near by you will consume enough.

However, if you notice that the container is still full at the top of each hour then drink 6 – 10 ounces. It is better to drink smaller amounts throughout the day than gulping an entire container all at once. This will give you a little over a gallon of fluids throughout the day. Stopping drink 2 – 3 hours prior to bed time.

You can monitor your hydration by the color of your urine. If it is completely clear you may be drinking a tad too much. A very slight yellow color is normal. Anything darker would indicate that you need to drink more fluids.

A word about hyponatremia –

Hyponatremia is low blood sodium, which can occur when endurance athletes including long distance walkers and runners lose sodium through sweat and are unable to replace it. They may further dilute their blood sodium by continuing to drink large amounts of water and losing further sodium through urination.

This condition is more pronounced in longer events (more time to drink) and in smaller individuals (it takes less fluid to offset their sodium concentration). Drinking sodium containing fluids and eating salty foods should ensure that your sodium levels remain at safe levels.

Horse and Deer Flies on the attack-RE-REPOST

2012-04-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

This was originally posted June 2010 and reposted April 2011. The information is still valid.

Horse and deer flies are now patrolling the trace. They have staked out several areas between stations and are laying in wait. They are ambush predators that notice movement. I witnessed the pests this past weekend while doing several group rides. The horse flies will actually join the pace line and draft. You can see them between you and the next rider. This is simply amazing. At some points during the ride we are cruising at 23+ MPH and the horse flies were taking it in stride. Some of the buggers were actually large enough for me to draft off of them. However, they are selfish and never actually take a full pull.

On Tuesday morning I went on a 10 mile run from my house along the trace. This is the first time that I have ran ‘out in the woods’ in a while. I have been running during lunch at work which is more populated. This turned into the hardest / worst run that I have ever done. I had wanted to maintain a challenging pace for the entire run and I was successful for the most part. But, there were several stretches of the trace were I would get a dozen deer flies pursuing me. They were tenacious. I knew that I could not out run them. All of the swatting and arm flailing actually raised my heart rate a good 5 beats. This put me over the edge for the LT run that I was attempting. I had remembered that Jen over at The Running Artist had encountered the devils and had come up with a solution. She would grab a small branch from a pine tree (a switch if you will) and run with it. She said that the swishing motion would keep the flies at bay.
I jumped off of the trace and grabbed a limb off of a small pine tree. I started to run with the branch oscillating in a circular motion.

Occasionally I would have to swat my back because I was being bitten. This was terribly frustrating. I actually had to stop twice and fist fight the creatures. They won. One time I broke the switch as I was trying to knock one of them off of my back. The switch helped but was not a complete solution.

I finished up my 10 miles strong and started my cool down. The damn things were still on me and I had to pick up the pace. One of the horse flies even followed me home like a puppy dog. As I got near my house I started to sprint to lose the girl. She still snuck into the house. I later got her with a dish towel near the back door.

Horse Fly - That'll teach him!

With a little research I have found that these biting flies are in the horse-fly family (Tabanidae). According to Wikipedia:

While female deer flies feed on blood, males instead collect pollen. When feeding, females use knife-like mandibles and maxillae to make a cross-shaped incision and then lap up the blood. Their bite can be extremely painful, and resulting allergic reaction from the saliva of the fly can result in further discomfort and health concerns.

Wikipedia led me to here:

Tabanids lie in wait in shady areas under bushes and trees for a host to happen by. Sight is the main host finding mechanism, but carbon dioxide and odor also play a role. Moving objects, especially if dark colored, are most prone to attack. Attacks occur during daylight hours with a peak beginning at sunrise and lasting three hours. A second peak is two hours before sunset and commences shortly after.

I do not like to use insect repellent – it repels me as well. I have found a couple of ‘traps’ that I will be experimenting with in the coming weeks. I will keep you posted of the results.

UPDATE: Last year I did a little bit of research and discovered that deer and horse flies are most attracted to the color BLUE. Do not wear BLUE for the next 6 weeks or you will be a target. I have experimented with a blue dixie cup covered in sticky goop adhered to the top of my head. It is effective but very messy. Double sided tape seemed like the solution but is was much less effective at trapping the flies. You could hear them tagging the cup!

Another technique when being attacked by a band of deer or horse flies is to find a ‘friend’ riding or running on the trace. Pull up slowly next to your friend, make some small talk. Talk about how the humidity really takes it out of your long runs or how difficult it has been to get all of your workouts in with the new baby, etc.

This will put them at ease. Do not mention the deer or horse flies! This will alert your friend. After continuing the small talk for a few minutes it is necessary to abruptly end the conversation. Grab your stomach and yell “I got to go!”. Next sprint at full speed like there is no tomorrow. Most of the time you will leave the band of flies with your ‘friend’. You will be deer and horse fly free for a couple of miles.

WARNING: Be careful of ‘friends’ who pull up next you. Be prepared to out sprint them at a moments notice!

Ironman–a part time job

2012-03-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

I heard someone say that the cost of drug addiction was not just the time spent doing drugs but the time spent thinking about doing drugs and the time spent getting the money to buy drugs. Fortuneatly I have never had to experience this in person.

But, that got me thinking about ironman training (and to a lesser extent about triathlon training in general). I have often said that training for an ironman is like a part time job. I was only referencing the 12 – 15 hours a week of training.

However, most people that I know that are training for something big, the actual time spent training is only a small part of the total time.

You also have to consider the time spent thinking about training, the time spent talking about training, the time spent procuring, adjusting and working on equipment, the time spent practicing and working on nutrition, and the big one, the time spent recovering from the training.

When you calculate all of this time, training for an ironman is not a part time job; it is a second full time job.

It is just lucky that we actually like doing this stuff!

2012 Rock N Roll New Orleans Race Report–Half Marathon

2012-03-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

So my ITB was acting up in early January. This caused me to shut down my marathon volume build prematurely. With that, the sub-3 marathon goal went out the window. I was having pain and discomfort in sessions as short as 4 miles. With the reduced volume, my speed took off. I was running fantastically fast but short. As my injury improved, I was able to push the distance to the 10-mile mark. I was still able to run fast.

I was also dropping some stubborn weight during this time. I was not as hungry as normal and I had voided the house of bad foods. I was leaning out and getting fast!

But, 6 weeks is much too long for a taper. About 2 weeks ago, some of the weight started to creep back on. Some of the speed started to slip. I still thought I could put together a good half marathon but I was losing my mojo. The half was not my goal.

We went down to NOLA the day before the race. The expo was a lot of fun and I did win a new pair of Brooks’s shoes from their huge carnival type booth. I ordered the Brooks Glycerin 9 neutral high mileage trainer. I have never had a pair of Brooks so I am excited to try them!

We also went and walked around the quarter. I have never had a daiquiri in NOLA. We stopped and I ordered a LARGE white Russian (with an extra shot). This was a strong frozen coffee daiquiri. We stumbled around the quarter for a while. Charles and Terry stopped and grabbed cigars. I skipped the smoke.

We made it to the hotel. I was bunking with Terry. He had rented what we would call the Emperor’s Suite! The suite had a couch, dining room table, recliner, king size bed and bathroom. I stayed upstairs and had my choice of two queen-sized beds and my own bathroom. We also got late checkout so that we could shower prior to lunch.

We made our way down St. Charles for dinner. The restraint that we selected was very crowded and much to our surprise did not have ANY beer on tap. They did, however, have several vodkas on draft! (wft). There was also a frozen wall with bottles of vodka being chilled. I did not partake of any alcoholic beverages during dinner. But I did have my second meal of the day that came with a bowl of brown gravy for dipping! I could not have planned that.

After dinner, we made the short walk back to the hotel but first stopped at the convenience store for early morning provisions. I got a bottle of sports drink and a couple of Cadbury eggs. Great pre-race foods. The eggs did not make it back to the hotel.

It was still early and Charles, Audrey and I decided to venture out for a nightcap. The Avenue Pub was just around the corner. This is Charles favorite place and he is not along. Draft magazine voted it as one of the top 100 best beer bars in the country (http://theavenuepub.com/ )! It was pretty crowded; after all, it was Saturday night. We stayed for one round and called it a night.

I had my alarm set for 5AM but I knew that I would not need it. You see, I have bunked with Terry before. By 5AM, he would have been awake for hours hydrating and taking nutrition. We left the hotel just after 6AM and made the just under a mile walk to the race start. Audrey slotted into her corral and Terry and I made it to the front the of the race – corral number 1! I was still not very excited about the race and I was not sure of my race plan. Two weeks ago, I was confident of shattering my half PR. Now, not so much. I knew I did not have a whole lot of extra speed and I was just not sure if I was prepared to suffer.

Still, I threw caution to the wind and set my paces at an aggressive 6:30 minute per mile. The first mile clicked off easily and fast – 6:22. I settled down and concentrated on running the tangents. I had studied the course the night before and knew that there was a huge sweeping turn all the way out to Audubon Park and back. If you were not careful, you could easily run a couple of hundred extra yards!

The pace got hard quick. Mile 3 ended up being one of my slowest. I really thought about slowing dramatically and waiting for Terry (who was running a hair slower but also the full marathon). After the turn around, I got a few shouts of encouragement from friends running the opposite way. I could not slow down now although it was tempting to jumping to the Avenue Pub again for a quick beer. It could have made for a great story. If Charles had been standing in front of the pub I would have stopped. Instead, I saw Charles about a mile later. The pace had slipped to 6:40 but I was holding steady. I knew that if I could make it to mile 10 then it would be a straight shot to the finish. I can do anything for 5k!

I was never in any deep pain. Sure, I was uncomfortable but never really hurting. I just wanted to stop. I did pick the pace up the last couple of miles and brought the pain. I finished strong and much to my surprise, I was able to chip a few seconds off my PR. How many seconds I was not sure but maybe a couple. I finished in 1:27:13, which is a PR by 7 seconds (a half second per mile faster).

I was one of the first to arrive at the reunion area. I had procured my clothing, cleaned up and sat down for a snack. I also got my 2 8 ounces ultra-light beers. As people trickled in, I got a couple more ultra-light beers. Then Charles showed up with a New Orleans Track Club shirt. Now, I am a member of the NOTC but did not think to venture to their tent. They had free food and kegs of beer. We grabbed a few more shirts (they were begging us to take them) and invited a few people to join us. We finally left the race site at about 11 AM. I had been there since 8:30 AM. We jumped on a bus back to the super dome. We had to high tail it back to the hotel room. Charles and Terry had to stop for a bathroom break so Audrey and I made our way back alone. We got to the hotel at 11:55 AM.

When I got to my room the key would not work! I asked the maid next door to let me and thankfully, she obliged. I threw a towel in the sink and ran hot water over it. I took a quick bath and washed all of the important stuff. Terry had arrived and while he cleaned up I went had checked out of the hotel.

Next stop was an Irish Pub and once again, for the trifecta, I had another meal that included another bowl of brown gravy! I don’t know how this happened.

It was a great time in the Big Easy!

I filled up with post-race snacks since at the RnR events once you leave the finishers area you are on your own. I also grabbed a solar blanket to use in the field.

2012 pre-race day

2012-03-03T08:26:00.001-06:00

It is the day before the Rock’N Roll marathon (half marathon) and this has definitely been a lack luster season of running. There have been a couple of highs and many more lows. Even back in December I knew that the dream of a sub-3 would be a near insurmountable challenge. My volume was building. I was ‘tricking’ myself into transforming my easy run pace of 8 minute miles to 7:30 minute miles.

In the beginning of my running season I had a good performance in an afternoon very warm 5k. There was zero prep and I signed up at the last minute (I had to take the clock to the race). I end up within 10 seconds of my 5k PR (which was set in 2009 – the last time I raced a 5k – 19:09 PR). That was a good showing to kick off the season. Next I ran the Hobble then Gobble 5 mile and also had a good showing. The weather was cooler and I won my age group finishing 4^th overall. Oh yeah, I also had a stellar run in the Mighty Magnolia Triathlon back in October – I believe I had the 4^th fastest run overall and placed in my age group – my run split was 19:01 for 3 miles – Not back for me, especially after a challenging bike).

I dropped all of the bike training to concentrate on the marathon. I took the scheduled recovery days. I raced the Ole Man River Half in early December and once again I got a PR (I think 1:27:20ish – I have PR’d this race the past 4 years. But this time it was only by 7 seconds. A PR but not the big gains that needed to achieve my sub-3.

Next I raced the Oh What A beautiful Day 5 Miler. The weather was much warmer than the Hobble then Gobble. I performed well and finished 2^nd overall. It was a tough race – I had gone out too fast for the conditions and was starting to fade at the end.

And that is where the big mistake was made. The weekend before the 5 mile race I had run 20 miles at an average of 7:2X with the last couple of miles at a sub 7 minute pace (I’m thinking back – the last several miles were in the low 6:40 range). This had been the second 20 mile run in my build and I was feeling the power.

The day after the 5 mile race called for a 22 mile run. I have to run these out and back so that I do not have the opportunity to cut them short. My left knee (ITB) started to hurt at around mile 10. I pushed it to Sumrall and turned for home. I had 12 miles to go with increasing pain. With about 6 miles to go the run became a shuffle and then a run / walk shuffle and then a walk / shuffle.

I was done at that point. I took a couple of days off and hit the trace again. I was running easy with some friends and the pain came on quick and hard. I had to walk back to the gym.

From that point on the volume stopped. My long run was 4 miles for about a week. I gradually got it back to 10ish but the hopes of the sub-3 marathon were dashed.

However, this forced taper brought the speed. I was running short 6 milers at a 6:40 pace often. I also put together a reverse ladder of 10 miles starting just above 7 minute pace and finishing with a pair of 6:15 miles. This is not my speed. I was flying – average pace for those 10 miles was 6:33.

The next weekend I wanted to run a steady state 10 mile run at a 6:30 pace. The weather had turned much warmer and more humid. I was not successful. While I was able to hold 6:30 for many miles the upper middle miles fell apart. I finished the run 2 minutes off pace with an average of 6:40.

With the forced reduction of volume, due to injury, I executed a near perfect taper. But, it was a couple of weeks too soon. Today, just before race day, I feel lethargic. I have packed on about 6 pounds from my leanest two weeks ago. The weather has turned warm and rainy.

These are not the conditions for a sub-3 marathon and not even for a half marathon PR.

I will still have a lot of fun with friends at the race but there have not been very many results to show for the hard work. I am okay with that. I had big dreams this year.

I am ready to push through this race and start building again.

10 Mile Tempo–Number 02

2012-02-27T10:13:00.001-06:00

I ran my last long tempo run on Sunday. The previous weekend I had run my fastest ever 10 mile tempo run. That run was an unplanned ladder than walked down to a 6:15 pace for the last two miles. The average pace for the run was 6:33 – which, to be honest, surprised me a little bit.

So, I thought I could bang out a 10 mile run at an average pace of 6:30 if I evenly paced the run. For me, and just about everyone if they actually tried it, the fastest way around the track is to run an even split. That means you start out pretty dang hard and keep the pace. Yes, it does get much harder but you just keep the pace.

So, that is what I tried this past Sunday. I decided to go west on the trace and run ‘slightly uphill’ for the first 5 miles. I was successful. I ran the first 5 miles with a ‘slight uphill’ on pace. Then it fell apart. Even though I had turned around, the run got harder. I kept the pace but I was getting hot. I also started to get a bit of an upset stomach. I had changed my routine some the morning before the session. I drank some milk. Now, I am not opposed to milk but I am also not a huge fan.

I started to slow and I actually walked for about 10 seconds during mile 7 – that mile clicked off at a 7:19 pace. The even slip goal was out the window. I also stopped at Clyde and grabbed a swallow of water. I was able to get back on pace for the final mile.

I finished the 10 mile run in 1:07 – EVEN. That was a 6:42 pace. But, this was not a race. But the temperature was in the 60’s (I NEED high 30’s / low 40’s). And my stomach was upset.

If I can eliminate a couple of these liabilities then I think I can PR the half next weekend.

Changing Priorities

2012-02-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

As you know, I have been nursing a mild injury the past few weeks. This has forced me to rethink my sub-3 hour marathon goals. I just do not believe that it is possible to put forth that effort considering that I have not been able to run farther than 11.5 miles in the past month.

However, what has happened is that I have reduced my run volume in half and an unexpected thing has happened. I mean, it makes complete since but my body has absorbed all of those long, hard efforts and bounced back with speed. I have been running faster than ever this past month.

The Yasso’s are faster and the tempos are faster. There just have not been any long runs. I ran a 10 miler this past weekend at 8 seconds per mile faster than my half marathon PR time. This run was faster than my 12K PR (7.45 miles). And the last 2 miles were in the 6-teens (6:15, 6:16).

I won’t be getting a marathon PR but I am going to PR at the half marathon in NOLA.

Zombie Survival Committee

2012-02-11T10:41:00.001-06:00

I’m taking another English class. I thought I might post some short story type stuff on the weekends.

The zombies have taken over the world. The scientist have found a way to exterminate the zombies but it will also wipe out the entire human race as well. If I want to be saved I have to try to convince the Zombie Survival Committee that I should be allowed to stay in the super top secret lab and then help rebuild society.

To whom it may concern, Zombie Survival Committee

I am sure there are a lot of really smart people on your selection list. In fact, I bet some of these really smart people are so smart that they probably caused this zombie apocalypse in the first place. Now I am a pretty bright guy but certainly not bright enough to cause or fix a problem of this magnitude. And let’s get this straight, this is a problem of zombie biblical proportions.

So, your cure is to wipe the earth clean, scorched earth if you will. So after you hole up in this super top secret, undisclosed location and wash your hands of the whole damned place, what then?

Can you imagine the cleanup this is going to take? Six billion (plus or minus) rotting corpses, dead and undead. Who is going to clean that up? Those guys in the white lab coats that have to use two arms to pick up a grande cup of coffee? I don’t think so. I bet it would take them all day to dig a grave for just two or three of these human or once human beings. And can you imagine all of the bitching and moaning going on about how they were too smart or too important for this kind of manual labor.

That is where I come in. I’m smart enough to know what needs to be done but not too smart. I’m not going to be thinking I'm too good for cutting up bodies in little pieces and stacking them in nice little piles. In fact, I have already thought about some practical uses for these bags of bones. We could use them like sand bags and build some temporary shelters; zombie adobe buildings. What do you think of that?

And I can dig too. Once, before all the caca hit the fan I used to dig ditches around the house. You see, my house was built at the bottom of a hill and when it rained a river, well not a real river but a heck of a lot of water would flow right up next to the house. It would take days for this water to dissipate. I got the bright idea of building a French drain next to the house to expedite the flow. With just a shovel, a spade if you will, I sat about digging a 200-foot trench along and around the side of my house. I filled it with gravel and sunk some 8-inch pipe. It only took me a couple of weekends to dig this trench. You bet I was sore but I got the job done. I would be willing to bet that if you were creative in the stacking that you could have fit maybe fifty or sixty of those zombie and / or humans in that trench. And I dug this trench just to dig it. It was also my first time digging a trench. I am confident that I could dig better next time. In addition, I am sure that if I saw all of those piles and piles of bodies it would motivate me to dig even more. I bet, I could dig it even deeper and even longer.

I even have my shovel with me. What do you say?

Decision made.

2012-02-08T07:00:00.002-06:00

Decisions, I hate decisions.

Completely unrelated, the moon last night

I have not run more than 6 miles continuous in the past couple of weeks. It has been frustrating not being able to venture far from home for fear of having to walk back.

I ran 5 miles on Saturday (of the 14 miles scheduled) and skipped the long run entirely on Sunday. On Monday I ran the indoor track for 6 miles and did a progress ladder – 7:15, 7:15, 7:05, 6:55, 6:05 and a cool down of 7:30. Only a few light irritations towards the end.

Tuesday I did 8 Yasso’s at 2:55ish (sub 6 minute pace for the half mile repeats). There was no pain at all and I while I can’t say they were easy I was able to complete them without difficulty. So, while I may not have the endurance for the marathon I still have the speed.

I have also been on the bike trainer a lot these past couple of weeks. Also, I do not have the bike endurance but my power numbers for short durations are as high as they have ever been.

So, what is my decision regarding the prioritization of the marathon or the half ironman? Well, I don’t think I can run a sub-3 marathon in 3 weeks. It would have been difficult regardless of injury. But I do believe I can still put up either a ‘good’ marathon or possibly a PR half marathon while focusing on the bike. There you have it, I will be continuing to run but I am going to add the bike back into the mix. The sub-3 marathon goal will have to wait for another race.

Matching bar tape

2012-02-05T08:35:00.001-06:00

The other day I noticed that the bar tape on my road bike matches the color of my study (I don’t use a formal dinning room much). I have written about bar tape a couple of times (here and here).

What color is your bar tape and why?

Decisions, decisions

2012-02-01T13:43:00.001-06:00

I am a little hurt right now. That pains me to admit it. That ‘Worst Run Ever; is still haunting me. If you remember, I raced a 5 miler on a Saturday and then did a 22 miler that was supposed to be at 7:30 pace. The prior week I had nailed a 20 miler at 7:2x pace and felt strong at the end. I was firing on all cylinders.

Well, after that ‘Worst Run Ever’ where I felt a lot of pain in my left leg (ITB) I took a complete day off, but just one. I attempted to run an 8 mile tempt the next day. That run was going great until some pain started creeping back into the left leg. I ran 5 miles of the tempo at the correct pace, slowed dramatically and did a run / walk for the last 2.3 miles.

I was hurt. I was disappointed. I was frustrated. Generally, I am a bulletproof runner. I mean I do occasionally get hurt but it is not from training, it is from crashing on the bike or falling on a trail. I accept those cuts, scrapes, bruises and occasional fractures. Those are the price of doing business. But chronic and overtraining injuries, that does not happen to me.

Until now.

Friday I will make a decision whether to pursue the sub-3 marathon or switch gears and concentrate on my half ironman (10 weeks away). If I move to a bike concentration, I should be able to have a run at a PR (sub-5).

Removing the variables.

2012-01-28T07:00:00.000-06:00

I had a conversation with an athlete recently regarding removing the variables in training. Swimming is probably the easiest. Very few things change. My local pool does not change in length (to the best of my knowledge), the viscosity of the water does not change very often, the temperature of the water is consistent and I wear the same swimming attire. Therefore, the only thing that changes is me (my stroke, my intensity, my motivation). Swimming 100’s on the 45 should be the same day in and day out. If I improve on my times then I am working harder or I am more efficient. Easy stuff.

Next up is the run. You have different routes, different contraptions (treadmills), different equipment and different conditions. Sometimes I run up hill, sometimes I run downhill, there can be wind from any direction and the surface can be soft, hard or even muddy. However, if I run the same route in the same conditions then I have removed some of these variables. I also have access to an indoor track. This removes many of those variables. The track is flat, the temperature is consistent and the length never changes. I can run this track at a predetermined pace or heart rate. I can then compare these numbers to past sessions to see if I am improving. The variables have been reduces. There are a few more variables in running than swimming but they are easy to minimize.

The bike is a whole other matter. You have the temperature, wind, elevation change, surface conditions, aerodynamic position, drafting, tire inflation, tire resistance and a host of other variables. I can be riding the bike at a very hard effort and average 18 MPH or be riding easy and averaging 22 MPH – it depends on the ride. Even when I do my marked and known distance time trial, the variables are just too many. I have completed one of these time trials and thought I had ridden my best ever only to come in a few seconds slower than my best. A power meter can definitely help to mitigate these variables but this is an expensive and potentially complex piece of equipment. Not everyone wants to make that investment in time or money.

A trainer can also be used to help eliminate some of the variables but only if several steps are taken. First, the trainer takes out the incline and decline, eliminates the wind and you can control the climate. But there are still variables, the next being the tire contact pressure and tire inflations. When I first mount my bike on the trainer, I reduce the pressure in the tire. I mount the bike and crank the tire resistance unit a certain number of revolutions. Your trainer will vary but try to get in the habit of always tightening down the resistance unit the same each time. Next, I inflate the tire to the same PSI each time. The exact amount does not matter as long as you are consistent, anywhere between 100 – 120 PSI should be sufficient.

Next, when I ride the trainer I try to keep the warm up the same. On many trainers, the resistance will change as the unit warms up. By performing the same warm up, each time, the trainer’s resistance should be the same by the time you reach your working set.

That takes care of the friction on the rear wheel. With these variables eliminated, you can be sure that the amount of effort you are putting out will be the same each time you ride the trainer. You can now use your speed and cadence to repeat trainer sessions that should provide the same workload.

Through trial and error and performing benchmarks, you can define your intensity zones. You can now repeat workouts with the same workload. For example, if you performed a 20-minute effort at xx MPH and at XX cadence in the same gear, you can be certain that when you repeat this workout you will be producing the same about of work. Over time, you will then be able to adjust your output by increasing cadence or speed.

Worst Run Ever

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

If you recall, I posted recently about injuries following the words “Best Run Ever.” Well, I’ll take best over worst any day of the week.

After the 5-mile race on Saturday, I still had big volume for the rest of the weekend. Sunday called for a 22-mile run. This is definitely pushing the comfort zone. I knew that from my house to Sumrall is 20 miles but I needed two more. I decided to run to Jackson Station and then back past my house to Sumrall and back to get the allotted distance.

I had such a good 20 miler the previous weekend I knew I was going to have success. I loaded up my race belt with gels. I inserted each gel in the loop and pulled it tight. One, two, three for a total of five. It was as if I was loading a bandolier and readying for battle.

I started slightly downhill towards Jackson, I quickly got on pace. The legs loosened up easily but there was some fatigue from the 5-mile race the previous morning. I had raced at a hard effort.

I was clicking off miles just as planned but now I was running slightly up hill. My pace slowed a few seconds per mile. No big deal, I would make up the time on the return. The effort was growing higher.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that it was 70 degrees and 100 humidity on this Sunday in January! I took my second gel at Epley. This was the 9-mile mark. I thought about turning around and running the 6 back home, 15 miles would still be respectable. I pushed on. It was another 4 miles to Sumrall Station.

I started to feel some slight discomfort in my left leg on the downhill to the station. If I turned around here, I could still get 20 miles for the run. Would that be a failure? I pushed on. I took my third gel at the bottom of the hill. I turned around slowly knowing that I had to climb the hill and reach home. I was at mile 12 and still had 10 to go.

On the climb out, I shortened my stride. I was hurting now. I kept going. With an out and back you always have to get home.

My pace was slowing and after Epley, I started doing a run walk. It was frustrating that I was not able to keep running. This was not a fitness issue but an injury issue. I really thought about walking the entire 6 miles back home. I did the quick math and there was no way that I was going to be out there another two hours.

No amount of stretching helped curb the pain. It was sharp and intense all around my left knee. This is not the good kind of pain. I took my last gel at Clyde. I looked around for any cars that I recognized. There was none. In fact, there were no cars at all. At this point, I would have checked the ego and bummed a ride from anyone.

I gathered my courage and ran the last two miles home. The pain was not so bad but the thought of extended recovery loomed heavy on my thoughts.

Once home I took an ice bath and a full recovery meal. I rested the legs on Monday (upper body strength work). By Tuesday, I felt much better. So good that I could go out on the trace and tear it up again.

Marathon training is all about pushing the envelope.

This was definitely up there with one of my worst training runs ever and it could have been avoided. I should not have run a ‘longest of the season’ run following a hard effort race. I should have changed the pace a touch considering that last week I had run and it was 20 degrees cooler.

It is a minor set back but a set back nonetheless.

Race Report–Oh what a beautiful day- 5 Mile Race

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

I decided to run the race when I woke up that morning. I knew that I would either work the race or run the race but I was on the fence. My training plan certainly did not call for a 5 mile race. Especially since my long runs are on Sunday. How would a race affect the long run? When training for a marathon, the long run is more important than a 5 mile race.

I hopped on the mountain bike with coffee in a disposable cup that I had kept from the day before. I was dressed in my race attire. I had on my racing flats, running shorts, running visor and a sleeveless running shirt. The first thing that I noticed was it was damp outside, like 100 percent humidity damp. It was one of those mornings were it felt like it was in a constant state of rain but it was not really raining. Oh yeah, it was also 70 degrees.

Charles and I timed this event last year so we both decided to race it this year. I also saw Terry L., he had just wrapped up a 9 mile run at marathon pace (sub-7 minute miles) prior to the race. There was a good chance that he would still beat me.

My strategy for the race was to try to run 5 – 10 seconds per mile faster than the Hobble then Gobble, which is a much harder course due to the hills. However, I changed my mind because of the conditions. Instead I was simply going to try and run the same pace, which is 6:20ish. Terry said that he was going to go out at 6:30 and pick it up at the turn around.

There are 2 guys in front of me.

We lined up for the race and there were a couple of young fast kids on the front. I recognized some of them. Anthony S. wins a lot of these races. I had my gps watch dialed in and I was just going to race my own race. We started off and it was immediately apparent that there was a head wind. I was in third place and jumped on the should of one of the kids. I was running too fast. I let second place pull ahead. That first mile came up at a 6:03 pace – way too fast. Anthony was in the lead and pulling away from second and third place. The kid on front of me started to labor hard between miles 1 and 2. I worked my way back up to his shoulder. I wanted to hang for a while but I would have had to slow too much. I passed him on the right and kept the pace up. I was working hard.

I was still in second at the turn around and I got a look at the field. Terry was in third 20 – 30 seconds behind me. It looked like a training run for him and not a race (he actually stopped at the turn around for a few seconds to talk with the marshal).

I kept the pace up for the 2 ½ mile return. I was hurting but dying. I was trying to embrace the pain and just let it flow. I kept the effort high but I could tell that I was starting to fade. I was damned and determined to keep Terry from overtaking me. I never turned around (not until the end) but I was listening intently for foot falls. I was trying to gage how much of a buffer I had. At Lake Thoreau Road (2k to go) the field marshal said good job and I waited to hear him say it again. I did not here it. I still knew that Terry was closing. I was the one fading.

I kept the intensity high but now I was starting to really suffer. I want to stop, just a mile to go.

I kept looking at the watch to see just exactly how far it was to the finish. Three quarters of a mile and then a half. I knew that I could finish strong.

I finished 2nd overall and 1st in age group. It was a great race. Most clock an extra tenth of a mile.

Splits:

Mile 1: 6:03

Mile 2: 6:13

Mile 3: 6:32

Mile 4: 6:34

Mile 5: 6:20

0.1: 0:28

Ode to the Yasso 800s

2012-01-19T09:20:00.000-06:00

It’s that time again for the Yassos. They have been missed. If you remember, Yasso’s are half-mile repeats at your projected marathon time, which is not the same as your marathon pace. For example, if you were aiming for a 4 hour marathon (9:10 pace) you would run your half mile repeats in 4 minutes flat (8:00 pace). You work up to doing 10 x 0.5 miles at marathon time pace. For me that is 6:00 minute pace (I want to run a 2:59 marathon – 6:52 minute per mile).

There is some pseudoscience going on here but they do seem to work. If you have the necessary endurance and can complete 10 Yassos, you should be ready for your marathon.

Today was the first session of Yassos in my marathon build. It was just 6 repeats and they felt great. Sure they were challenging but not over the top, insurmountable. The temperature had dropped and that certainly helped out on the trace.

I nailed them.

Splits:

1. 3:01 (slow start)

2. 2:54

3. 2:55

4. 2:55

5. 2:53

6. 2:55

20 miles on the trace through the town

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

In my marathon build I am starting to get to the meat and potatoes. Sunday called for 20 miles at a 7:30 pace. I have not run this distance since Boston but I have had killer sessions at 16 and 18 miles.

The logistics of these longer runs definitely require some planning. I was lazy for a couple of hours before I started. I wanted to make sure that my oatmeal was consumed at least an hour before the run. I let it digest for about two hours before I started. The temperature started to creep up and it was now 45. I had on a short sleeved running short. No gloves or extra head gear for warmth. I also found my race belt and filled it with 4 gels.

My house is just off of Lake Thoreau Road which means the gateway is 5 mile (and a quarter) miles away and that Epley is 6 miles away (5.9ish – I always run past the station). A run to campus and back and passing my house to Epley and back would give me 22 miles. I certainly did not want that. In addition, it takes a little bit extra effort to run by your backdoor in the middle of these long runs. There is a force that tries to pull you home.

I decided to run to the gateway and then somehow get another 5 to 10 miles on campus. The weather was bright and sunny and I got on my pace easily. It is slightly down hill to the gateway and I ‘banked’ a some time. This is generally not very smart but I was running comfortable at 7:15ish pace. I reached the gateway a minute ahead of schedule. I took a gel, grabbed a mouthful of water and used the facilities. All the coffee from the morning needed somewhere to go. I lost that minute and an additional 20 seconds. I don’t like to pause the running watch on these runs. I run in real time.

I made the quick decision to run downtown. I wanted to see if there had been any progress on the trace extension. The trace bridge is complete but the actual trace is still grass and gravel. This slowed my pace a touch but it was not a big deal. I ran on the trace until the stop light (I not sure of the name of the street but if you turn right you will be near the Keg and Barrel). At this point I jumped on 4^th and continued to Main Street. I hung a right onto Pine Street. I thought I would run around the Cloverleaf Mall. I also need another gel and some water to wash it down. Running down Pine is not the best. There are no sidewalks and I just kind of ran on top of the curb in the grass. There was a lot of hurdling of odds and ends. This cost me a little more time. I took another gel and ducked into the McDonalds bathroom for a quick drink.

Around the perimeter of the Cloverleaf I went. I jumped on the service road and got back on pace. When I first moved to Mississippi I lived in the avenues on Ridge Way. I have not run that neighborhood in a while and made a bee line. Leaving the Cloverleaf I was only at mile 10. I still needed to find 5 miles before jumping on the trace.

In the avenues I zigged and zagged back and forth for a few streets and then took Mamie from 21^st to 10^th. There was not much traffic and all of the cars gave me plenty of room. It was a nice run through the neighborhood. I then ran up 10^th and back towards the west. I skirted around Kamper Park and turned north on 21^st. I jumped around on side streets to get back to the trace. I knew this route well from living in the avenues. This is how I got to campus years ago.

Back on the trace I took another get and headed home. I was exactly at 15 miles. I would get my 20 just before arriving at home. And you know that the trace is a slight incline from the gateway. In my other long runs this month I had planned them to use the decline in the last leg of the sessions. This is a mental trick; it also allows for you to pick up the pace and finish strong. I was two minutes behind schedule and it would be difficult to make up time. Sure I could have blown it out and probably made up the time. 120 seconds to make up in 5 miles is 24 seconds a mile (I could not have done that math while running). But running slightly up hill at a 7 minute per mile pace for 5 miles with the temperature in the 50’s would be a challenge on these legs. Yes, I could have done that but my recovery the next few days might suffer. I stuck with the plan. My last miles were in the high 7 teens but not close enough to make up the time. I would keep pace and not pick it up until a mile to go.

I was still running easily and strong. The miles were racking up. This was a solid session. I was still feeling good. At mile 18.5 I crossed paths with Brandy from Pounds to Miles. I knew that she was running 18 but I could not tell where she was at. I normally would have chatted for a few but I was behind in time and needed to keep pressing the pace. After the fact she told me she was finishing up her run. Wow, that is a good sign if you can’t tell that someone has 18 miles in their legs!

I took that last gel at Jackson station and increased the pace for that mile home. I saw the seconds dropping from my average. I was thinking that if I had just run fast for the last two miles I could have come in under 2:30. My last mile was once again in the 6:40’s. I am happy with a 2:30:44 for the 20 miles. If you take out the non-moving time (the water and pee break) then my time was 2:29:34 – right on schedule.

All of my splits were on pace with the exception of the breaks. I still have a long way to go to meet my goals but I am definitely on track. And that is a good thing.